


When You Wish Upon A Poem You Get—Breakfast?

by AranelPilin



Series: Pockets, Bells, Zippers, and Poems [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Chat Noir Needs A Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Poor Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, The Children’s Hour by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Who knew English Lit homework could endanger secret identities?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 00:14:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16545071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AranelPilin/pseuds/AranelPilin
Summary: Tikki once told Marinette that Chat Noir's jingle bell has a far more tragic meaning than the whimsical fashion statement it appears to be. While Marinette has known this for a while, she hadn't seen it with her own eyes—until now.Otherwise, known as "Homework assignments are dangerous when you have a secret identity!"This is a sequel to "Tikki, Why Don't I Have Pockets?" While it can stand alone, it makes more sense if you read the previous work first.





	When You Wish Upon A Poem You Get—Breakfast?

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say a big thank you to all the people who commented and left Kudos on "Tikki, Why Don't I Have Pockets?"! I never dreamed so many people would like that little one-shot! For all of you who requested more from that universe, I give you “When You Wish Upon A Poem You Get—Breakfast?”. Hopefully, it lives up to your expectations!

Marinette groaned and dropped her head onto her English Literature textbook. Why was English poetry so  _hard?_ She was exhausted after the previous night's midnight Akuma attack, followed by a full day of school, followed by yet  _another_ Akuma attack while she was working on her English Literature assignment at the library with Alya.

She supposed it was lucky that Hawkmoth had at least waited until after school was officially over to attack today. Her teachers were beginning to get really tired of all her lame excuses. But now she was stuck working on the assignment (which was due tomorrow!) alone.

"Tikki, why is today Thursday? Why can't today be Friday so that tomorrow could be Saturday!" she whined into the pages of her book.

Tikki giggled, "Oh, Marinette, if today were Friday, it would mean a whole two days before you could see Adrien again! Besides, I really like that poem; it's super sweet!"

"I'm sure it _would be_ if I didn't have to look up _every single word_ ," Marinette complained. "Being Ladybug doesn't leave nearly enough time for studying my vocab words."

"Maybe you should go for a run," the little Kwami suggested helpfully. "It's getting kind of stuffy in here. Get some air, and maybe when you come back, you'll have a fresh perspective."

"Good idea! Tikki, spots on!"

The room briefly glowed pink as Marinette stretched and spun her way through her transformation. Moments later, Ladybug was racing across the Parisian rooftops without a care in the world beyond the next anchor point for her yo-yo. She landed on a row of joined houses and sprinted down the rooftop as fast as she could.

Just as she was preparing to swing away, a sudden glint in the shadow of a chimney on the opposite side of the street caught her eye. She instantly froze, straining her eyes to make out a slightly darker patch of shadow that, upon closer inspection, seemed vaguely Chat-shaped.

Grinning she quickly circled around the row of houses to sneak up on Chat from behind. He was always slipping up behind her—sur- _purr_ -ising her he called it—, but with his enhanced senses she rarely ever had the opportunity to return the “favor.”

Peeking around the corner, of Chat's chimney, Ladybug got her first good look at her partner. He was seated with his back to the chimney, his knees pulled in tight to his chest, and his face buried in the arms crossed over his knees.

As she watched, Chat Noir remained unnaturally still. At first, the occasional slow swish of his tail—which must have been what caused the glint she had seen earlier—seem to be the only motion from the boy in front of her. But when a low sob reached her ears, she realized that his back was subtly vibrating from his repressed cries.

Tikki had once told her that Chat Noir’s bell meant that deep down, he was looking for a place to belong—someone to belong to. That whenever a mark of ownership had shown up on a past Chat Noir, it had meant that the person beneath the mask had been neglected, abused, or abandoned.

Her heart had broken for her partner, and she had wanted nothing more than to help him. However, Tikki had convinced her to hold her peace and that he would come to her when he needed her. While Marinette has known since then that her partner wasn't as carefree as he appeared, she hadn't seen it with her own eyes—until now.

The Marinette in her wanted nothing more than to bolt around that chimney and smother her poor kitty in the biggest hug she could give him. Instead, she slowly and silently rounded the corner and gently laid her hand on his shoulder with a quiet, "Chat." Ready, even as she touched him, to jump clear in case she startled a fight reflex out of her clearly vulnerable partner.

She needn’t have worried though, because as soon as her hand touched his shoulder, Chat Noir froze and went completely silent. When he made no indication of moving or answering her, she settled down next to her partner and began to rub gentle circles across his back. Tikki had said he would come to her when he needed her, and her Kwami hadn't steered her wrong yet. She would content herself with silently supporting her partner until he was ready to confide in her, or until he had regrouped enough to face the world again—whichever came first.

Chat remained tense beside her for all of a minute before he suddenly seemed to deflate. She had never seen him so _defeated_. When she gently tugged him closer, he came without resistance, resting his head on her shoulder as tears silently streamed down his face. All the while she just silently rubbed his back and stroked her fingers through his soft hair.

Eventually, Chat's tears began to slow, but he didn't move and neither did she. When his breathing had finally returned to normal, he broke their silence.

"I was working on my homework for tomorrow," he began quieter than she'd ever heard him speak before. "I have a class where we study English literature to help us get a better understanding of the language. There was this poem…" his voice trailed off.

Ladybug stayed quiet but gave her partner a gentle side hug so that he would know she was listening.

"It's called ['The Children's Hour'](https://www.deviantart.com/slocked221b/art/The-Childrens-Hour-771528566) by an American named Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Have you ever heard of it?"

Frozen in surprise, Ladybug almost missed his question. Chat Noir was studying the very poem that had driven her from her room in frustration? The poem that only _her_ class was studying because it was a personal favorite of their teacher's? She supposed another teacher from another school might have chosen to add it to their curriculum as well, but at the exact same time _and_  due on the exact same day? Ladybug didn't need Max to tell her just how low those odds were.

"I've heard of it," she answered softly forcing down her shock—now was not the time for an internal crisis, her kitty _needed_ her—, "but I don't really know what it's about."

"It's about this dad and how much he loves his kids." Chat explained and the _longing_  in his voice breaks Ladybug's heart all over again. "His kids try to sneak up on him, and he knows they're coming, but he plays along anyway. He hugs them and kisses them and tells them stories. He locks the memories of the time he spends with them deep inside his heart so that he'll always have those memories when they're grown—" his voice broke, and he began crying again.

Ladybug resumed rubbing his back and just let him cry.

"I have to go through a _secretary_  and schedule an  _appointment_  just to even  _see_ my father for five minutes!" He sobbed into her shoulder, "I just wish—I just want my father to  _look_ at me! Is that so much to ask? Am I really so worthless—such a disappointment that he can't even stand the sight of me? I try so hard— _so hard!_ —to be perfect for him so that he'll love me. I do everything he asks, but it's  _never_ enough— _I'm_ never enough!"

Shifting to pull him into a tight hug, Ladybug went back over the new information her partner had just given her. She doesn't want to, but she can't stop her mind from putting the pieces together. It's what she does as Ladybug after all—she sees the patterns everyone else misses and puts the pieces together to find the solutions to their problems. If Chat Noir is her sword and shield; Ladybug is his analyst and tactician.

There's only one blond-haired and green-eyed boy in her class who has to schedule appointments through a secretary to see his own father. She can't imagine that there could be many boys in all of Paris who would fit that description even without the knowledge that he's in her class. She doesn't want Adrien to be the boy breaking in her arms because she loves him and wants him to be happy. But in that moment, she _sees_ him—she sees _all_ of him.

Adrien is her partner—her _kitty_ —and he's _hurting,_ and she loves him more than ever because now she is free to love  _all_ of him. Her kind, shy classmate and her brave, dorky partner are the same person and she  _loves him._ She can freak out later!

"You are not worthless," she breathed softly into his hair as he trembled against her. "You are not worthless, and you are not a disappointment. Not to me. _Never_ to me! You will  _always_ be enough for me," she hesitated, then decided to commit, because right now she couldn't care less about Hawkmoth or Akumas or secret identities. It's just her and the boy she loves so desperately that she had nearly given up her miraculous and fallen to her death from the Eiffel Tower to save him from Volpina. He had saved her then, and she would do everything in her power to save him now. "You're my _partner,_ my  _kitty,_ my _friend,_  and I love you, _Adrien Agreste_."

He froze at the sound of his name on her lips, before suddenly pulling away in a panic realizing that somehow he'd given away too much. Somehow he had broken their one rule, and now she knows who he is, and he is terrified. Terrified that she'll be angry with him. Terrified that he'll have to give up his miraculous—that he’ll have to give up  _her!_

"How do you know my name? What did I say—what did I do that gave me away? Please, please don't send me away! I'll do anything you want just please don't send me away!" He’s panicked, _begging_ , and it's crushing her. 

"Adrien, Kitty calm down," her tone is gentle, desperate to soothe away his fears. "It's ok, Adrien. It's not your fault, Chaton."

He's crouched down in front of her—looking so much like a kitten expecting a blow—and murmuring out a steady babble of apologies, begging her not to send him away. Because that's what his father has been doing to him ever since his mother disappeared, she realizes. His father has been sending him away—his big empty room, photoshoots, piano, fencing, Chinese—all of it away from his father.

She doesn't think he's hearing her as she tries to soothe him with her voice. Not knowing what else to do, Ladybug knelt in front of him and gathered her poor frightened kitten back into her arms and held him tight.

He doesn’t relax immediately. He’s tense with panic and still babbling incoherently where his face is pressed into her neck. But Ladybug just allowed her hands to run gently across his back and through his hair as she waited for Chat Noir to come back from wherever his overstressed mind had taken him.

After a while, his babbling trickled to a stop, and a moment later he collapsed into her hold. He's completely limp now; his energy spent. Eventually, his erratic breathing slowed back to a more even rhythm, and she was beginning to wonder if he'd fallen asleep on her.

"How?" the exhausted whisper broke her from her train of thought.

"Hmm?" she hummed, not understanding his question, but trying not to break the quiet moment they've fallen into.

"How did you know my name?" he clarified softly, defeated.

"Oh," she whispered back just as quietly, knowing her answer will reveal her identity, but she can't refuse. Not when he's so wrung out and vulnerable.

"Your poem," she finally answered, "I was working on that homework assignment when I came out to clear my head."

Silence reigns as he slowly worked through her answer.

"You're in my class," he realized.

"Yes," she confirmed and nervously waited for his exhausted mind to follow that logic train into the station. She can't help worrying that he'll be disappointed that 'His Lady' is plain old 'just a friend' Marinette.

"Princess" he breathed before his previously limp frame became completely boneless in her arms. He's a dead weight now, and her knees were beginning to ache.

There's no resistance from him when she tugged him back toward the chimney, and Marinette is overwhelmed by her partner's continued trust in her. Eventually, she managed to get both of them situated so that she's leaning against the chimney with Chat more or less cradled in her lap.

Nuzzling his face into her neck—exactly like a contented kitten—he started  _purring._ The gentle rumble is comforting for both of them right now, and she can't stop herself from reaching up and gently scratching around his leather cat ears. 

Almost immediately, Chat succumbed to his exhaustion and dropped off to sleep in her lap. He's so trusting even knowing who she is, and Marinette is more than content to simply hold her precious partner while he sleeps. She stayed there until the sun started to set, taking its warmth with it.

Reluctantly, she nudged Chat's shoulder. It's getting cold, and they still needed to talk before it got too late.

"Chat, Chat, I need you to wake up," she gently urged. His glowing green cat-eyes cracked open to glare at her before closing again. Marinette can't help it, he looked so cute with his face all scrunched up in sleepy annoyance, and she started to laugh.

"Shhh, sleeping, M'Lady…" he mumbled at her definitely still more asleep than awake.

"Nope," she laughed, "cat naps over, Chaton! I'm cold and if you want 'Princess's special hot chocolate' you're gonna have to move!"

At the mention of his favorite hot beverage, Chat's eyes snapped open and focused intently on her face.

"Really?" he asked, and he sounded so hesitant.

"Of course, but you're gonna have to let me up first," she couldn't help but laugh as he literally scrambled off her lap and pulled her to her feet.

"Lead the way, M'Lady!" he grinned, and he's working so hard to look like his normal, carefree self, but there's still something off in his grin. Even if she can't pinpoint exactly what’s off, she knows it's there.

She wanted to ask him what's wrong, but she had a feeling that conversation was going to need somewhere safer and more comfortable than a cold Parisian rooftop—and comfort food. _Lots of comfort food_ she mentally amends, glancing at her skinny kitty, as she casts her yo-yo in the direction of her family's bakery with her partner following close behind. The trip back to the bakery was quiet, a fact she couldn't help but be grateful for as she ploted her next move.

By the time her feet touched down on her balcony, she had come up with a solid plan. She's vaguely aware of her partner standing uncertainly behind her as she dropped through her skylight onto her bed and released her transformation. Tikki headed over to help herself to her cookie stash while Marinette stuck her head back out into the night and waved her nervous partner over. Much to his obvious confusion, she began piling the blankets and pillows from her bed into his arms.

"Set those on the chair; I'll be right back," she directed her partner.

Marinette scrambled down to the kitchen and hurriedly started the hot chocolate before going through the bag of bakery rejects in the kitchen. She made up a plate with a wide variety of things she knows from experience that Chat likes and put it on a tray along with two mugs. That done, Marinette returned to the hot chocolate, finishing it as quickly as she could and pouring it into a thermos. Miraculously, she managed to get the whole tray up to her room and to her skylight without her legendary clumsiness kicking in.

"Here, Kitty, put this on the table," she instructed before handing him the tray through the skylight. She disappeared into her room one more time, this time making a beeline for the linen closet in the hall. Arming herself with as many spare pillows and blankets as she could carry, Marinette headed back up to her balcony to face her partner. With Chat's help, she cleared her skylight and added her pile of fluff to the mound already on her lounge chair.

"Okay, Chaton, have you ever made a pillow fort?" she questioned unable to keep the grin off her face when he just stared at her in confusion.

"Umm...no?" he answered uncertainly.

"Well we're going to have to fix that," she informed him. She is relieved when a genuine smile crossed his features for the first time that night.

Chat Noir followed her lead as she positioned the pillows and blankets around her balcony forming a perfect little nest for them to hide away in. When she's finally satisfied with their creation, she grabbed the tray of goodies from her table and pulled him down into the center of their little fortress. Wrapped in blankets, they lapsed into a peaceful silence, enjoying their hot chocolate and pastries.

"Thank you, Princess. I really needed this tonight," Chat finally broke their silence.

"Anytime, Chaton," she replies and lays her head against his shoulder. 

He tenses for a moment at the contact before relaxing into it and they slipped back into silence for a while longer, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Marinette," he began hesitantly, "are you okay with this? Are you okay with me being—well _me?"_

"Of course," she replied sitting up straight once more to look at him curiously. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that, I know you don't really like Adrien very much and I—" he began dejectedly, but she cut him off.

"You think I don't like Adrien? Why would you even think that?" she questioned, surprise evident in her voice.

"It's just, you treat me differently than everyone else, and I know I make you nervous, and—" he rambled uncomfortably before she interrupted him again.

"Adrien, I like you. Trust me, I like you! And yes, I get nervous around you—this is going to sound so cliché—but it's not you, it's me. I had you built up in my head as this perfect untouchable person. You're so kind and thoughtful to everyone around you—even Chloe! You're good at _everything_ you do, and you're just so _perfect._  I'm just  _me_ —clumsy old Marinette Dupain-Cheng who trips on air and can't string two coherent words together around the nicest boy in school," she partially confessed. No need to make things even more complicated by bringing up the fact that she had the world's biggest crush on him!

"But I'm not perfect!" he exclaimed. "My father says—" he halted abruptly as the rest of what she'd said registered, "Wait, what do you mean you're just you?" He asked sounding almost offended, "You're so brave and resourceful. You're always looking out for everybody around you."

"Your father _clearly_ doesn't know you very well," she retorted, "He may be a brilliant fashion designer and a shrewd businessman, but when it comes to you, he is _obviously_ blind! And maybe Ladybug is all those things, but without the mask, I'm just me—a clumsy bundle of nerves and worst case scenarios."

"I wasn't talking about Ladybug. I was talking about Marinette. The brave class rep who stands up to Chloe. The amazing, talented, girl who gives her all just to make the people around her smile. I've seen you go after our classmates to comfort them when they're having a bad day. You're a wonderful, selfless person Marinette, and that's all _before_ you put on the mask. Your miraculous may give you the strength to face down an Akuma, but the courage and the heart? That's all you, Marinette."

Tears welled up in Marinette's eyes, and she hid her face in her partner's shoulder, "Thank you, Kitty," she whispered wetly.

"Of course, Princess, you're special _because_ you're you. Don't ever forget that," he murmured as he tentatively put an arm around her.

"And you're amazing, Chaton, no matter what  _anybody_ says," she stated with conviction and returned his hug.

They sat there together just relaxing in each other's hold for a while before Adrien sighed.

"I should probably be getting home. It's getting late and I  _still_ haven't finished that homework assignment," he told her reluctantly.

"We could maybe work on it together," she proposed, "I haven't finished it either; and, truth be told, I'm really struggling with the vocabulary involved," she admitted.

A genuine smile that was so  _Adrien_ lit up his face and she couldn't believe she had never figured it out before tonight.

"That sounds _purr_ -fect, Princess," he purred teasingly.

She pulled away from his hold, rolling her eyes, before booping him on the nose affectionately like she always did as Ladybug.

"Ok, Kitty, I'll go get my book and some extra supplies for you. Can you plug the lights in so we can see what we're doing?" she asked.

"Of course, My Lady!" he grinned at her as she retreated into her room for the homework assignment. True to his word, when she returned to their pillow fort, he had the lights all set up for them.

Together they tackled the homework assignment, balancing each other out as they always did. He supplied the vocabulary knowledge, and she kept him from slipping back into his earlier melancholy. In the end, they looked up from their completed assignment and with matching grins offered each other their traditional, congratulatory fist bump.

"Pound it!"

Chat was quiet as he helped her clean up their pillow fort, but just before he left, he looked down at his homework assignment thoughtfully.

"I worry about it sometimes, you know," he said softly glancing over at her before looking away again, "what kind of father I'm going to be one day. I know I don't want to be like my father," he frowned," but I've never really known anything else. This poem though…" he trailed off for a moment, "That's the kind of _dad_ I want to be," he sighed wistfully, gaze fixed on the night sky above them before he turned to her with an elegant bow and a smile. "Good night, Princess," he whispered and with a kiss to her hand he was gone.

She stared after him in open wonder as he disappeared into the night. And the thing was, _she could see it!_  Emma, Louis, and Hugo climbing over an armchair into a grown Adrien's lap. They would be giggling happily and eager for kisses and a bedtime story.

 _'Don't worry, Kitty, I think you'll do just fine,'_ she thought.

 

 

 

+++++++Bonus Scene++++++++

 

Adrien slid into his seat and immediately pillowed his head on his desk. His muffled greeting to Nino earned him a chuckle from his best friend who opted to let Adrien rest. Tuning out his best friend's conversation with his girlfriend, Adrien allowed himself to fall into an exhausted, semiconscious state while waiting for class to start. His lady wasn't here yet—she probably wouldn't arrive until right at the bell if not after—and he was too wrung out from the night before to interact with anyone else.

He flinched sleepily when someone slow-tapped him on the head twice. Reluctantly, he raised his head only to find Marinette— _his lady!_ —standing in front of his desk with a pastry box and a to-go cup of coffee _a full two minutes_ before the bell.

"You look like you could use these," she grinned down at him and placed the pastries and coffee in front of him.

"Thank you, My—Marinette," he caught himself with a grin just in time.

As she made her way around him to her seat, she leaned down to whisper in his ear, "You can thank Tikki later for getting me up in time, _mon minou._ " She giggled, and he felt his cheeks go red.

Desperate to hide his blush, Adrien quickly sipped at the coffee she had brought him and had to stifle his moan of appreciation. She had positively _loaded_ the coffee with cream, sugar, and what he was positive was whipped cream. He  _never_ got to have coffee with cream and sugar let alone _whipped cream!_ His lady was spoiling him!

Now  _far_ more awake, Adrien eagerly tore open the pastry box. His mouth began to water at the sight of the delicious looking  _pain au chocolat_  that greeted him, and he nearly laughed aloud when he noticed the napkin wrapped cheese danish labeled "Plagg."  Grinning, he discretely smuggled the napkin wrapped danish into his book bag before attacking his own treat.

He was so focused on finishing his second breakfast before the bell that Adrien completely missed Nino and Alya's wide-eyed stares.

 

 

 

+++++++Bonus Scene 2++++++++

 

The exact moment the bell rang to signal lunch, Alya grabbed her best friend and dragged her out into the hall. With single-minded determination, Alya ignored all of Marinette's protests and refused to stop until she had managed to relocate the two of them in an empty classroom.

"Who are you and what have you done with Marinette Dupain-Cheng?!" she demanded. "Since _when_  can you talk in _full sentences_ and _giggle_  with  _Adrien Agrest?"_

Knowing she was going to be interrogated by Alya, Marinette had spent their morning classes preparing. She was Ladybug! Coming up with the plans was in her job description! Knowing that Nino would most likely be interrogating Adrien as well, she had slipped a copy of her cover story to Tikki. Tikki had smuggled it to Plagg, who had tipped Adrien's bag against his leg during class to get his attention. Adrien had reached down to "fix his bag" and Plagg had slipped the note into his hand. Matching cover stories—check!

"Funny story actually," Marinette began, "You remember that literature assignment we were working on last night when the Akuma struck? Well, I was having trouble finishing it on my own and went to text you for help only to accidentally text Adrien instead! Except I didn't realize that I was texting Adrien until we had been texting for a while, and he made a stupid cat pun.  _A cat pun, Alya!_ Then I realized that he's just a giant nerd, and we texted for a while. I guess once I realized that he wasn't the flawless boy I had built him up to be in my head, it became a lot easier to talk to him."

Alya's eyes had softened during Marinette's story, "I'm proud of you Marinette!" she exclaimed and swept her best friend into a tight hug. As she pulled away though, a mischievous gleam entered her eye.

"Sooo, are you going to ask him out now?" she asked innocently.

"Alya!"

 

 

 

+++++++Bonus Scene 3++++++++

 

<Alya —> Nino 12:15 pm> Operation: Double Date is a GO!

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm marking this as a completed one-shot for now, but I'm toying with adding in another chapter for Alya's "Operation: Double Date." Let me know in the comments if this is something y'all would enjoy.
> 
> I know Marinette is usually a lot more careful about the identity thing and therefore might seem a bit out of character when she let's Chat talk about his homework and family. However, I feel like after her conversation with Tikki in "Tikki, Why Don't I Have Pockets?" she would be a lot more open to the idea of letting him vent. 
> 
> Also, since she doesn't think that they go to the same school, she would never suspect that a poem could give him away until it was too late. After that, it's not like there are any other blond and green-eyed boys in her class. His rant about his father—which wouldn't be common knowledge outside of their class—is just confirmation of something she already knows at that point, and it wasn't worth stopping him. 
> 
> As for Adrien, he is shown to have incredible emotional control in the show. If he was emotionally exhausted enough with his situation to be out crying on a rooftop in the first place, I think that just proves that he's at the end of his rope and ready to snap. So, yes I sent poor Adrien into a hybrid shock/panic attack. I'd say I'm sorry, but at the end of the day, he got his Lady and the emotional support he so desperately needed sooooo—yeah, I'm not sorry at all!
> 
> For anyone who has enjoyed the "Pocket's, Bells, Zippers, and Poems" series, a one-shot fluff epilogue is on its way. In the meantime, thanks for reading!
> 
> Bug out, Y'all!


End file.
